corporate diplomacy

Businesses have been warned that in order to thrive in a low-carbon future they must first "navigate a mosaic of global realities", that has seen water scarcity hit a variety of regions and threaten to destabilise infrastructure [...] that is the warning from the third annual Earth Security Index (ESI 2016) – released on behalf of the Earth Security Group - The report warns that businesses must align themselves to societal priorities in the countries that they operate as part of a new “business diplomacy for sustainable development”.

The Chinese government is keen to build up its “soft power” to compete against the globally dominant cultural exports of the US. But there’s just one problem. After years of trying, China has yet to develop its own popular versions of Mickey Mouse, the Marvel Comics heroes and the other globally-known characters and products that allow Disney to market “Disneyland” as an immersive, universal experience.

President Park Geun-hye will become the first South Korean president to visit Iran as she departs for Tehran on Sunday morning. [...] As is customary now, President Park will also encourage Korean nationals living in Iran and attend a cultural exchange event showcasing Korea and Iran's traditional assets...

As part of its marketing, Sodastream created a campaign to show the cooperation between Arabs and Jews in the factory. In its initial phase, the company posted several untranslated versions to Facebook. But after requests from the Swedish and Jordanian embassies – which wanted to use it for their public diplomacy efforts – Sodastream translated the clips to English and Arabic and paid for their promotion.

Liu Xi, Chairman of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association at Harvard Kennedy School, and chief organizer of the China trek project, says the trip to China will bring a better understanding between the Chinese and the American people in the near future.

The elephant in the room isn't the strong-arming of Chinese State-Owned Enterprises in The Bahamas but rather their inability to grapple with the culture shock of doing business in the Caribbean region.

Alibaba is but one example of China’s “private sector diplomacy.” These successful companies help promote a positive image of China’s economy to the outside world, something the government needs. China’s private sector diplomacy can also be felt in the expansion of its private companies on the global market.

The UN’s sustainable development agenda for the next 15 years can be used as a model for businesses. [...] “[The SDG] requires very big partnerships, and the growth engine of the world economy is business,” she said. Conversely, she pointed out, the SDGs have vast potential for improving the global business climate. By encouraging a “solid enabling environment”, she explained, they also provide the basis for corporate growth.